Her finesse with strings has whipped up an enduring formula of success for Vidushi Dr. Varsha Agrawal. Raking in recognition for her mastery of the santoor, Agrawal has been charming assorted souls the world over with her efforts, propagating the musical instrument from Kashmir in unusual ways.

Agrawal boasts of expertise in the santoor, tabla and vocal music, but hails the santoor as a “healing instrument,” asserting that her strategies with it have luminously offered calmness to troubled souls over the years. 

“Listening to the santoor brings in peace and mental relaxation, giving results that one would get from a round of meditation,” says Agrawal. “I have done concerts for the blind, the physically disabled and mentally challenged too. And each time, I got great results. These listeners were all touched by my music. I plan to do many more of these concerts in the near future. Right now, my aim is to do something for the cancer-stricken. I hope the Government of India supports me in all my plans.” 

In 2018, Agrawal was awarded by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, heralding her as the “First Lady of Santoor”. A feat well-deserved, given that she was the first ever female santoor player in India, and also one who popularised the instrument globally. 

Honing her craft from the age of six in the Sufiyana Gharana, Agrawal went on to deliver her maiden santoor concert at nine years, captivating a throng of around 5,000 listeners who had curiously shown up, by and large, to check out the veracity of her talent. 

But never mind the hype, Agrawal still has her priorities in place, and hasn’t let commerce corrupt her art. The Professor of Music at an Ujjain College, and doctorate-holder in music - who also functions as a guide for doctorate - aspirants - earns handsome sums from concerts in India and Internationally. And teaches music, globally for free. 

Her online santoor classes attract scores of students from India, US, Canada and the Middle East, majorly, apart from other nations, all eager to benefit from her knowledge. Occasionally, Agrawal will personally coach  a student from abroad who is keen to imbibe her artistry.   

“Both my gurus, Pandit Lalit Mahant and Padma Shri Bhajan Sopori told me that knowledge should always be given free of cost, with no exceptions,” she says, “I earn well as a Professor and from my concerts, and that’s all I need.”

A sterling highlight of her repertoire: Agrawal plays rare compositions using 9,11,13, 15 and 17 beats (Aprachalittals) and is famed for her rendition of the Dhamar Tal, a musical gem that she asserts bags “repeated requests, both pan-India and globally”. 

Let alone human beings, cows too can moo in unison confirming her virtuosity. “I played the santoor for three days for 51,000 cows in Vrindavan and in Zurich too,” reveals Agrawal “And believe it or not, in both cases their lactation levels went up phenomenally. They produced more milk than ever.” 

Cited as a ‘Top-grade’ music artist ( AIR, Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati), and the first female santoor musician to have her interview ( ‘Shaksiyat’) aired on Rajya Sabha TV., Agrawal turned author with ‘Truly Yours,’ an e-book centred around a folk love ballad turned legend. 

Marital love, though, does not figure on her agenda at all. “Every day, I do riyaz for about four hours early in the morning, and an equal number in the evening,” she states. “Given my role as a Professor, online classes, riyaz and concerts, how can marriage fit into my life?”.

Curiosity over her singleton status, however, remains fodder for the media. And Agrawal unspools a hilarious rejoinder for it, rather swiftly. “The santoor I play is my husband,” she chuckles, “My santoor is a special instrument having 112 modified strings. So, I have 112 children whom I have to fine-tune every single day.” 

Guess, that’s called tuneful family planning. 

Click on the YouTube link to watch Varsha Agrawal’s music videos:

https://youtu.be/0sQztCaW-5U?si=lWKBCpNGvg7q7yoY

Click on the Spotify links to hear Varsha Agrawal’s music:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3iYxgkqGrxHsvSrMZ5kogm?si=CbRYjKfYSEORe_P62h2A9A

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Bu1bnC1brDY24o2yrnjN1?si=hgQSc-KPQA2MICaBoj6xBw

- Ajit Ramachanddran

Ajit Ramachanddran is a wordsmith with over two decades of experience in the field of media. He has worked in an advisory firm ( content creator, researcher ) and as a journalist across publications from ‘The New Indian Express’, ‘Sahara India Pariwar,’ ‘Lokmat’ Group, ‘Yuva’ newspaper, and other periodicals. As a staffer, he served in posts including Principal Correspondent, Copy Editor, Special Correspondent and other ace positions. Furthermore, he was also a commissioned writer for ‘The Times Of India’ publication group. Earlier on, he functioned as the Deputy Editor of an entertainment-centric website too. And to date, words earn him his bread, butter, jam, jelly, marmalade, and more.